SB 5.8.25 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

किं वाऽऽत्मजविश्लेषज्वरदवदहनशिखाभिरुपतप्यमानहृदयस्थलनलिनीकं मामुपसृतमृगीतनयं शिशिरशान्तानुरागगुणितनिजवदनसलिलामृतमयगभस्तिभि: स्वधयतीति च ॥ २५ ॥

Verse text

kiṁ vātmaja-viśleṣa-jvara-dava-dahana-śikhābhir upatapyamāna-hṛdaya-sthala-nalinīkaṁ mām upasṛta-mṛgī-tanayaṁ śiśira-śāntānurāga-guṇita-nija-vadana-salilāmṛtamaya-gabhastibhiḥ svadhayatīti ca.

Synonyms

kim vā — or it may be ; ātma — ja — from the son ; viśleṣa — because of separation ; jvara — the heat ; dava — dahana — of the forest fire ; śikhābhiḥ — by the flames ; upatapyamāna — being burned ; hṛdaya — the heart ; sthala — nalinīkam — compared to a red lotus flower ; mām — unto me ; upasṛta — mṛgī — tanayam — to whom the son of the deer was so submissive ; śiśira — śānta — which is so peaceful and cool ; anurāga — out of love ; guṇita — flowing ; nija — vadana — salila — the water from its mouth ; amṛta — maya — as good as nectar ; gabhastibhiḥ — by the rays of the moon ; svadhayati — is giving me pleasure ; iti — thus ; ca — and .

Translation

After perceiving the moonshine, Mahārāja Bharata continued speaking like a crazy person. He said: The deer’s son was so submissive and dear to me that due to its separation I am feeling separation from my own son. Due to the burning fever of this separation, I am suffering as if inflamed by a forest fire. My heart, which is like the lily of the land, is now burning. Seeing me so distressed, the moon is certainly splashing its shining nectar upon me — just as a friend throws water on another friend who has a high fever. In this way, the moon is bringing me happiness.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

When will the moon give me pleasure by its rays of cool, peaceful nectar flowing from its mouth out of attraction for me as I pursue the deer, while my heart, like a land lotus, burns with the feverish flames of the forest fire of separation from my son? Noticing that the rays of the moon are burning him, he expresses his desire. “In separation from my son the cool rays of the moon have become hot. Ah! When will the time come when the young deer will come back to me? The moon will then cool me down.” Will the moon turn me, who pursues the deer, into nectar (sudhayati)? [Note: This is an alternate version. ] Will it turn me into nectar by inundating my limbs burning in separation from the deer with its nectar, by its rays made of nectar flowing as water constantly from its mouth, cool and peaceful, intensified by attraction for me? The verb sudhāyati is formed by taking sudhāvat (like nectar) and dropping the suffix vat according to the rule vinmator luk (Pāṇini 5.3.65) Just as persons skilful in mantras cool fever by applying water from their mouths, the moon should apply water from its mouth on me. Another version has upasṛta-mṛgī-tanayaḥ. The meaning would then be “When will the deer pacify me out of affection by the touch of his mouth on my limbs?”

Purport

According to Āyurvedic treatment, it is said that if one has a high fever, someone should splash him with water after gargling this water. In this way the fever subsides. Although Bharata Mahārāja was very aggrieved due to the separation of his so-called son, the deer, he thought that the moon was splashing gargled water on him from its mouth and that this water would subdue his high fever, which was raging due to separation from the deer.